This invention relates to the production of food products from peanuts. Specifically, this invention relates to the production of high quality, low calorie, low fat peanut butter-like spreads having a rich roast peanut taste. Peanut butter is one of the most popular foods in the American diet and is much prized for its strong flavor and unique texture. While peanut butter is a generally healthful food, many regard it as too rich in fats and calories. Peanut butter typically contains about 50% fat and has about 600 calories per 100 grams.
Some work has been done on the creation of low-calorie reduced fat whole peanut and peanut flour products. Reduction in caloric content has been achieved by the partial removal of fats from these whole peanuts and peanut flours at the expense of certain desirable properties. For example the reduced fat content peanut flours described in U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,113,599 and 3,947,599 have lost their peanut flavor characteristics and are very bland, almost tasteless. These products are furthermore described as base protein materials which can be used in the production of other food products; none are described as possible base materials for the production of peanut spreads or low calorie, low fat peanut butters. The peanut flours described in these patents, in addition to having bland taste, are generally dry, having water contents of under 5%.
The addition of water to roast peanut products or to peanut products that are to have roast peanut flavor heretofore has been prevented by the occurrence of severe flavor degradation and prohibitively shortened shelf life.
Existing processes for the production of low calorie peanut products that have roast peanut flavor call for roasting temperatures of 300.degree. F. or higher.